As the number of cellular phone users has increased, the number of cellular phones in the hands of drivers on the road has also increased. A driver that talks and/or texts using a cellular phone while operating a vehicle may be undesired. The distraction of talking and/or texting using a cellular phone while operating a vehicle may have the greatest effect on inexperienced drivers such as, for example, teenagers.
To combat the risks involved with distracted driving, a number of states in the US have passed laws prohibiting the use of handheld cellular phones and/or text messaging. For example, nine states have passed laws prohibiting all drivers from using handheld cellular phones while driving, and eight of these nine states have passed laws allowing an officer to cite a driver for using a handheld cellular phone without any other traffic offense taking place. Thirty five states have banned text messaging for all drivers. Additionally, a number of states have passed laws prohibiting all cellular phone use (e.g., including the use of hands-free devices) for novice drivers and/or school bus drivers.
The majority of states in the US, however, have not passed laws prohibiting the use of handheld cellular phones. Enforcement of the laws that are in place is based, in part, on happenstance, as an officer must witness a driver using a cellular phone while operating a vehicle to cite the driver for the use.